Staybolt assemblage and cap therefor



April 6, 1937. e. P. ROBINSON STAYBOLT ASSEMBLAGE AND CAP THEREFOR Filed Nov. 28, 1936 INVENTQR Gar/and PFFoZrhson BY 1 4 1-" ATT Q/RNEY Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNETE'Q STA S acme FATE

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Garland P. Robinson, Glen Ridge, N. J., assignor to American Locomotive Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 28, 1936, Serial No. 113,116

4 Claims.

This invention relates to boiler staybolt assemblages and caps therefor, and has for its principal object the devising of a cap for staybolts as an article of manufacture possessing 5 the advantages of cheapness of manufacture,

ease in assembling with the-staybolt and removal therefrom, permanency of its assemblage with the staybolt until removal is desired, long "life and low maintenance cost.

Other and further objects of and advantages achieved by the present invention will be apparent from the following description of an approved embodiment thereof and the claims appended hereto.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a staybolt assemblage embodying the present invention wherein the staybolt is of the rigid type and provided with a hole extending, entirely therethrough, the boiler plates being shown fragmentally and in section, the inner portion of the staybolt being shown in section and the cap "in outside view; Fig. 2 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, except that the staybolt, which is shown entirely in outside view, is a flexible type of I staybolt, the sleeve, which is of usual construction, not being shown and the hole terminating in the staybolt head; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the inner boiler plates shown fragmentally, the end portion of the staybolt secured sure, later to be described. The plates are shown fragmentally and the staybolt is of the rigid type, threaded throughout its length and screwed into both the plates. The plate '2 is intended to represent the inner plate which incloses the 40 interior of the boiler, that is to say the firebox,

and the combustion chamber when used.

staybolt, after it is screwed in the plates, is turned over at the inner end to provide a flange 4 and at the outer end to provide a flange .5. The inner end of the staybolt is provided with a depression 6 flaring outwardly to the interior of the boiler, and the outer end of the staybolt is provided with a similarly shaped depression 7. The staybolt is provided with a hole 8 extending entirely therethrough, having Fig. 2 shows a diflerent type of staybolt astain if it is clean and free from stoppage. It

semblage comprising an outer boiler plate i inner boiler plate 2, a staybolt 3, and a closure similar to :the assemblage of Fig. '1. The staybolt is of the flexible type, threaded at its inner end and screwed into the plate 2, and .is provided at its outer end with a substantially spherical head head it! which flexibly engages a sleeve (not shown but of usual construction) which is secured in an orifice H, formed in the plate 5. 10

The staybolt 3 is formed at its inner end similar to the staybolt 3 of Fig. 1 with a flange A and a depression 6. The staybolt 3' also has a hole 8 similar to the hole 8 of the staybolt 3 of Fig. 1, except that the hole 8 terminates is in the head IQ of the staybolt. Except for the closures, the staybolt assemblages and the staybolts thereof of Figs, 1 and 2 are of usual con struction; therefore no further description is deemed necessary. 20

Fig. 3 shows the inner portion of the staybolt assemblage of Fig. 1 enlarged although it applies equally to the inner portion of the staybolt assemblage of Fig. 2, except for the continuation of the threads. It will however be 2 understood that the present invention is not restricted .to any type of staybolt or staybolt assemblage providing it answers the requirements of the appended claims.

Staybo'lts, as is well known, must be periodiis therefore highly desirable that the hole be kept free from foreign matter emanating from the interior of the boiler, that is to say emanating from the firebox or combustion chamber, which would enter the hole through the mouth 40 thereof adjacent the interior. Therefore it is a common practice to close the hole at the month until such times as the hole must be in.- spected, whereupon the closure is removed. After removal the closures are no longer flt for 45 use and new closures must be substituted. A large modern boiler contains as many as 2560 staybolts provided with the tell-tale hole, and it will therefore be appreciated that supplying! such boilers initially with closures for the holes, 50 and later with new-closures after each inspection, presents .an item of quite some importance. Many designs of closures have been devised for this purpose but they do not possess the com.- bined advantageous features of the present in- 55 body portion i3.

vention which have already been enumerated. Obviously if the closure is too expensive it is not desirable for this reason, especially on account of the large number of closures that must be employed. Furthermore, the closure must be reliable, that is to say it must stay in place, for if it falls out of the hole easily, as closures of various other types do, this may not be detected for a long period of time, during which time the hole is open for receiving the undesirable foreign matter. It must be long lived, that is to say it must not fracture, disintegrate or burn out under service conditions before the time for removal for inspection. And it must be capable of easy removal preparatory to staybolt inspection.

The closure l2 of the present invention, conveniently termed a cap, which is similar in all three views of the drawing, is preferably made of non-rustable material, such as copper or brass or alloys thereof. It comprises a cylindrical tubular body portion 13, which, when assembled with the staybolt of the staybolt assemblage, extends into the mouth 9 for the full length of the The inner end of the tubular body portion is inclined radially inwardly, forming the inturned lip-like portion M to facilitate assemblage of the cap with the staybolt, and, if desired, removal of the cap, later to be referred to. The lip-like portion, while not essential, is desirable, for it acts in the nature of a finder in order that the mechanic may quickly direct the closure into the hole, it being understood that the exterior of the tubular wall of the body portion is slightly oversized, that is to say of a size to adapt it to make a forced fit with the wall of the hole, or in other words it must be forced or hammered into the hole to cause a tight fit to securely retain the cap in place under service conditions, and the tubular Wall is made of relatively thin material which permits it to slightly yield, if necessary, when the cap is being forced into place, but with suflicient resistance, due to its circular contour, to insure its being firmly held in place.

A circular flange I5 is formed integral with the body portion at the outer end thereof and extends radially outward therebeyond, and when the cap is forced into place within the hole this flange seats upon the wall of the flaring depression at its juncture with the mouth of the hole. This prevents the cap from being forced into the hole beyond the mouth, both when assembling the cap and when preparing it for removal, as will later appear.

A circular head 16, disposed adjacent the flange l5 and integrally connected at its periphery with the outer periphery of the flange is provided for closing the tubular body portion. There is preferably a slight space H provided between the flange l5 and head l6, and the head is preferably tapped or hammered around its periphery when the cap is in position, which serves to force the flange close to its seat and to shape it in conformity therewith.

On account of the depression 6 formed in the end of the staybolt, and the seating of the cap at the base of this depression, the cap is well protected from the passing flame by the end of the staybolt extending therebeyond into the firebox or combustion chamber.

When it is desired to remove the cap a hole is punched or drilled in the head I5 and a suitable tool inserted through the hole, such as a tool having a hook at its end, and the hook is then hooked to the head 56 or lip-like portion 44 and the tool retracted, thereby withdrawing the cap free from the hole. The head I6 is made of such thin and usually soft metal, such as copper, that it requires little or no effort to force the hole therethrough. In many instances it will be found more satisfactory to hook on the head for on account of the Very thin and usually relatively soft walls that the tubular body portion is formed of, a pull on the head by the hooked tool will tend to slightly collapse or contract the tubular wall to loosen it from the hole in the staybolt so that withdrawal is easily and quickly effected. As previously remarked, the flange l5 removes any danger of the cap being pushed into the hole of the staybolt when the hole is being formed in the head i 5.

As previously stated the cap is preferably made of soft material, such as copper and the like, and as a means of removing the cap it has been found, in practice, that it can be quickly and easily drilled out of the hole in the staybolt by using a drill substantially the size of the hole in the staybolt.

The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A metal cap for a boiler staybolt assemblage, the staybolt thereof, at its end adjacent the interior of the boiler, having a depression flaring outwardly to said interior, and said staybolt having a cylindrical hole with a mouth thereof opening to said depression, said cap comprising a cylindrical tubular body portion adapted to be disposed within said hole at said mouth for the full length of said body portion, with the outer end of said body portion disposed adjacent the juncture of said mouth with said depression, the tubular wall of said body portion being of a size exteriorly to adapt it to make a forced fit with the wall of said hole to securely retain said cap in place under service conditions, said tubular wall being of relatively thin material; a circular flange integral with said body portion at said outer end thereof extending radially outward therebeyond to adapt it to seat upon the wall of said flaring depression at its juncture with said mouth to prevent said cap from passing into said hole beyond said mouth; and a circular head closing said tubular body portion disposed adjacent said flange and integrally connected at its periphery with the outer periphery of said flange.

2. The combination of a boiler staybolt assemblage, the staybolt thereof, at its end adjacent the interior of the boiler, having a depression flaring outwardly to said interior, and said staybolt having a cylindrical hole with a mouth thereof opening to said depression, and a cap comprising a cylindrical tubular body portion disposed within said hole at said mouth for the full length of said body portion, with the outer end of said body portion disposed adjacent the juncture of said mouth with said depression, the tubular wall of said body portion being of a size exteriorly, making a forced fit with the wall of said hole securely retaining said cap in place under service conditions, said tubular wall being of relatively thin material, a circular flange integral with said body portion at said outer end thereof, extending radially outward therebeyond and seating upon the wall of said flaring depression at its juncture with said mouth, preventing said cap from passing into said hole beyond said mouth, and a circular head closing said tubuiar body portion disposed adjacent said flange and integrally connected at its periphery with the outer periphery of said flange.

3. A non-rustable metal cap for a boiler staybolt assemblage, the staybolt thereof, at its end adjacent the interior of the boiler, having a depression flaring outwardly to said interior, and said staybolt having a cylindrical hole with a mouth thereof opening to said depression, said cap comprising a cylindrical tubular body portion adapted to be disposed within said hole at said mouth for the full length of said body portion,

with the outer end of said body portion disposed adjacent the juncture of said mouth with said depression, the tubular wall of said body portion being of a size exteriorly to adapt it to make a forced fit with the wall of said hole to securely retain said cap in place under service conditions, said tubular wall being of relatively thin material; a circular flange integral with said body portion at said outer end thereof extending radially outward therebeyond to adapt it to seat upon the wall of said flaring depression at its juncture with said mouth to prevent said cap from passing into said hole beyond said mouth; and a circular head closing said tubular body portion disposed adjacent said flange and integrally connected at its periphery with the outer periphery of said flange.

4. A metal cap for a boiler staybolt assemblage, the staybolt thereof, at its end adjacent the interior of the boiler, having a depression flaring outwardly to said interior, and said staybolt having a cylindrical hole with a mouth thereof opening to said depression, said cap comprising a cylindrical tubular body portion adapted to be disposed within said hole at said mouth for the full length of said body portion, with the outer end of said body portion disposed adjacent the juncture of said mouth with said depression, the tubular wall of said body portion being of a size exteriorly to adapt it to make a forced fit with the wall of said hole to securely retain said cap in place under service conditions, and the inner end thereof being inclined radially inwardly to facilitate assemblage of said cap with said staybolt, said tubular wall being of relatively thin material; a circular flange integral with said body portion at said outer end thereof extending radially outward therebeyond to adapt it to seat upon the wall of said flaring depression at its juncture with said mouth to prevent said cap from passing into said hole beyond said mouth; and a circular head closing said tubular body portion disposed adjacent said flange and integrally connected at its periphery with the outer periphery of said flange.

GARLAND P. ROBINSON. 

